Scaled-up production of C₂ hydrocarbons by the oxidative coupling of methane over pelletized Na₂WO₄/Mn/SiO ₂ catalysts: Observing hot spots for the selective process

The oxidative coupling of methane (OCM) to produce ethane and ethylene, valuable hydrocarbons, was scaled-up using differential, mid-scale, and bench-scale reactors with 0.030, 2.73, and 40 g of packed catalysts, respectively. Organic and inorganic binders, such as methylcellulose, Al ₂O₃, MgO, and TiO₂, were mixed with Na ₂WO₄/Mn/SiO₂ catalyst powder to produce catalyst pellets, and TiO₂-mixed catalyst pellets exhibited the highest C₂ hydrocarbon yield despite the lowest active catalyst content. The formation of hot spots, which suppressed the selective conversion to C₂ hydrocarbons by further oxidation to CO and CO₂, was observed in the mid- and bench-scale reactors because of poor heat transfer. Inert-gas-diluted reactants and lower O₂ flow may inhibit the formation of hot spots and allow the development of industry-feasible OCM processes.